Broccoli, Cheddar, and Wild Rice Casserole (with Chicken)
Chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole was one of my favorite meals as a kid. I’ve wanted to recreate it for years sans the canned soups and cup of mayo and other such unappealing ingredients. (No wonder it tasted so good.) And I tried a time or two- without much success. It just wasn’t right. Or worth repeating. And then I saw this recipe and had to give it another go. No big surprise (if you’re familiar with Smitten Kitchen, pretty much every recipe she shares is awesome), it turned out perfect. Not exactly the dish of my childhood, but better. Cleaner, simpler, more sophisticated. And yet as creamy and comforting as the original.
I didn’t change much about this recipe- except to add chicken- transforming it from a side dish to one-pan dinner. A few substitutions could be made: any variety of rice would work (just be sure to adjust cooking times accordingly), cauliflower could replace the broccoli, another sharp melty cheese could replace the cheddar. I suspect lower fat milk would still make a great sauce (you can’t go wrong when so much cheese is involved). Like me, you can add chicken or perhaps ham or leave the meat out and enjoy it as is.
Broccoli, Cheddar, and Wild Rice Casserole (with Chicken)
INGREDIENTS
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 large onion, chopped
2/3 cup uncooked wild rice blend, rinsed (or any type of rice, shorten cooking time accordingly if you are using white rice)
1 lb. broccoli
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. ground mustard powder or 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
pinch cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup homemade or low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
8 oz. Cheddar cheese, grated (sharp cheese for more flavor)
2-3 cups cooked shredded chicken (optional- I used about half of a rotisserie chicken)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat 1 Tbsp. butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice to onion and cook for 1 minute, then add 1 1/3 cups water and a few pinches of salt. Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to lowest temperature and cook with the lid on for about 50 minutes (or whatever amount of time is suggested on your package of rice). If you’d like a rice cooker to do this for you, transfer onions, water and rice to the machine and set the machine.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
3. Peel broccoli stems and dice them into large chunks. Cut florets into 1-inch pieces. Cook in boiling, well-salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, then drain.
4. You can use this same pan to make the cheese sauce. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the mustard powder (if using), a pinch of cayenne and garlic and let sizzle for 1 minute. Add flour and whisk until combined, cooking the butter-flour mixture for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly drizzle in milk, whisking constantly, then broth. Bring to a simmer and cook mixture at a simmer, stirring the whole time, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in smooth Dijon mustard if you didn’t use mustard powder.
5. Remove pan from heat and stir in 1/3 of grated cheese until melted. Season generously with salt and pepper.
6. Combine cooked wild rice blend and broccoli and chicken (if using) in a 2-quart baking dish or a 9-inch oven-safe skillet (with the added chicken I used a 12-inch skillet). Pour cheese sauce over and gently nudge to ensure all pieces get some sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake casserole for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly, then run mixture under the broiler until cheese is toasty on top.
Serves 4.
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
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